Optics
by outerelf
Summary: Red Alert looses the sight of his optics, and the Ark tries to help out. oneshot


The twins shifted nervously on the medical bunks as Ratchet worked on Red Alert, cursing softly. Every now and then Red Alert would twitch and moan, but Ratchet always managed to sooth Red Alert into staying still.

Ratchet at last sighed, leaning away from Red Alert as First Aid looked up. "Go get some recharge Aid. I'll finish up with the twins first."

First Aid nodded, and vanished out of the medbay, Ratchet watching carefully. Then, the white medic turned to the twins. "Well?"

"Well what?" Sunstreaker snarled, glaring. "My paintjob is ruined!"

"Hey, Hatchet, how's Red Alert going to do?' Sideswipe asked hurriedly, as if he was just attempting to divert a fight.

Ratchet scowled, but he said, "I got him fixed, but he's lost the sight of his optics until we can land on a planet and restock."

Sideswipe winced sympathetically, and Ratchet brandished a arc welder at him. "If you two prank him while he has no sight, I swear you will not be able to move an inch for another vorn."

The twins winced at that, and Ratchet snorted, placing the welder down to pick up a wrench. "Now, hold still."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Red Alert onlined, optics attempting to pierce into the darkness. "Ah, you're online." Ratchets voice came out of the darkness, making Red Alert flinch.

"Ratchet? Where am I? What happened?"

"A battle. You've lost your optics for the next few days until we can get parts enough to fix you."

Red Alert winced, and then asked, "Casualties?"

"None. You were the only one badly hurt. What in Primus name got you so badly hurt when you're usually one of the few who comes off the battlefield with only a few injuries, unless you're glitching? Even Prime didn't get as hurt as bad as you, and he was facing Megatron!"

Red Alert frowned, attempting to remember. At last, slowly, he said, "I was fighting nearby Inferno… and… there was… a blast of some sort… I think… I think I got… I think I got a glancing hit from Megatrons fusion cannon, because I could hear it…"

Red Alert lifted his hands to his head, attempting to remember. "Are you sure I'm the worst hit?"

"Absolutely. The entire crew heard you scream, and the twins and Inferno went berserk, destroying anything that got in their way as they searched the battlefield for you, you seemed to disappear off the field for a few moments, and you were already so low on energon that our scanners went over you completely. It was Prowl who located where you were at, using something I don't want to think about-"

The door hissed open, and Red Alert paused, frowning. Soft, quiet, even footsteps approached, and Red Alert asked uneasily, "Prowl?"

"Red Alert. I came down to check on you and see how soon you can return to duties." Prowl said calmly.

"He isn't returning to them any time soon. His optics are completely gone, and I'm out of anything to repair them. And I don't want him leaving the medbay unless needed."

Prowl hesitated. "We need him for a meeting that's to be going on soon. Is it possible to guide him up to the room and have him report? No one else is able to find the reports that he was supposed to fill out beforehand-"

"I didn't have any time. First it's been with the recent explosions over in Wheeljacks lab, and then everything else such as the twins… I'm lucky to have spotted the attack as soon as I did."

Prowl was silent for a few moments, as Ratchet thought. "Very well. Everything's ok except for the optics, but no straining him. Red Alert, you'll have someone with you at all times so no glitching, got it?"

His glitch whimpered. "Yes. Ratchet, I got it."

"Good."

Red Alert slid off the berth, wobbling slightly. Prowl reached out, steadying the security director, and Red Alert nodded his thanks as he carefully began threading through the berths. He flinched as he heard the door hiss open, and carefully he stepped into the hallway, placing one hand against the wall.

So long as his hand was on the wall, he couldn't get that lost. He had been on the Ark often enough that he knew most of the passageways by spark. Prowl said softly, "I'll tell you when to turn or stop."

Red Alert nodded, and began walking, making sure to keep one hand on the wall. Something slammed into him suddenly, and Red Alert panicked, activating the silent alarm.

"Whoa, easy Red! It's just me, Inferno!"

Red Alert stiffened, even as he heard footsteps coming up the corridor. Ratchet groaned, one hand coming up to the side of his face. "Well, at least this way I can tell the crew."

Ratchet opened a comm. link to the entire crew. "Listen up all you slaggers, Red Alerts optics are currently broken. Sneak up on him, prank him, or in any way cause him to glitch because he can't see and can't stop you, I swear you'll be remolded as femmes and welded to the brig ceiling!"

Ratchet shut off the comm. link with a snap, and he smirked. "Inferno, put Red Alert down please. I believe Prowl has a meeting that he needs to go to."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Prime tried not to jump as Red Alert accidently brushed by the leader. Red Alert was having a hard time threading through the room, even as several mechs called out contradictory advice. "No, to the left!"

"No, right!"

"Left, lift up your feet Red Alert! You're about to step on a chair leg-"

There were a couple of winces as Red Alert nearly tripped, and Prowl hurriedly darted forward, catching the security director. "Thank you Prowl. Where's my seat?"

Prowl sat Red Alert down in his own seat, shaking his head. Red Alerts pained progress around the room was not something that Prowl wanted to repeat, and judging from how many boxes that were scattered around the room, it would be a long time before Red Alert would manage to get to his proper seat. "What's with all of the boxes anyways?" Red Alert asked curiously, unable to see.

Prowl picked up a box, and set it down in font of Red Alert, taking out an item. "Wheeljack created a new type of gun, however they-"

Red Alert nearly backed away. An explosion was the last thing he needed. Ironhide noticed and he pulled the box away from Red Alert. "Don't worry. I tested them out in the explosion room." Prime said dryly. "A few exploded on me at first, but it slowly stopped…"

Wheeljack protested, "I had already tested them and you were putting too much energy into each blast. That's why they exploded."

Red Alert took one, running his hands over it gently. "I see."

Jazz leaned across the table, asking, "So, how goes it in the CPU of Red Alert?"

Red Alert looked up, expression unreadable without workable optics. "What?"

"You were hit rather badly." Jazz said. "How do you feel now?"

"I feel as if I was run over by the twins again."

"They ran over you?"

Red Alert muttered something, and Prime cleared his throat. "Maybe we can get the meeting underway?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Red Alert staggered out of the meeting room, grumbling. Without his notes he wasn't able to give a clear, concise report. And it didn't help that with his optics gone and the rest of his sensor net much more hyped up, he could hear Jazz paging Prowl at odd, random times.

It especially didn't help when the internal fans in Prowl began to kick in slightly. Optimus Prime fell into step, asking, "Where are you going?"

"Cafeteria, and getting some energon." Red Alert mumbled.

Optimus Prime nodded, then suddenly said, "Look-"

There was a loud crash as Red Alert slipped on the wet floor.

"-Out." Prime finished lamely. "I forgot today was cleaning day."

Red Alert took a deep breath, reminding himself that in no way it was Primes fault, and that trying to kill the Autobot leader would not help anything. It may make him feel better, but it wouldn't help in the long run. "Prime, how close are we to the cafeteria?"

"Just another two hallways."

Red Alert stifled a groan as he attempted to stand up. Prime moved forward to help him up, and there was a sudden crash as the leader stepped wrong and slipped. Red Alerts head turned, and carefully he stood up. "Sir?"

Optimus Prime picked himself up, scowling. "Nothing to worry about."

Red Alert nodded, and Optimus Prime assisted Red Alert to the cafeteria.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Red Alert moved into the cafeteria, one hand stretched in front of him blindly. Optimus Prime was right behind him, and thankfully, the cafeteria was almost empty.

Almost. There were a few snickers as Red Alert bumped up against the table, but as Optimus Prime quietly guided Red Alert through the snickers fell quiet. Red Alert fumbled with a cube for a moment, and then his sightless optics searched for a place to sit down.

Hound said pleasantly, "Red Alert, you can sit over here by us!"

Trailbreaker nodded, and realized Red Alert couldn't see it. "That's right. We don't mind."

Red Alert cautiously made his way over, Prime leaving the room. He eased down into a seat, sipping at the energon as Hound and Trailbreaker talked quietly. Red Alert silently listened, not saying a word until he finished his energon. Then, unexpectedly, his pager dinged.

Both mechs jumped at the sound, and Red Alerts head went down to where his pager would be. But he couldn't read the words. "Hound, Trailbreaker? Could you read it for me?"

Hound leaned sideways just as Trailbreaker leaned forward. Heads collided with a loud enough of a bang to make Red Alert flinch. "Ratchet!" Trailbreaker gasped, rubbing his head. "Ratchet wants you back."

Red Alert nodded, standing up. "Ok, I'll go to him. Thanks you two."

Red Alert began feeling his way across the room, towards the direction of the door. Said door slid open, and a large group of mechs wandered in, talking and laughing. Red Alert took a step back, loosing his grip on a table, and paused disoriented.

The door hissed shut, and Red Alert moved forward towards the sound, just as one of the mech knocked over a chair. Red Alert stumbled, and tripped right over the chair, groaning in pain. There were a few whispers of surprise, and then a voice said softly, "Sorry."

Red Alert gasped something, attempting to stand back up. Before he knew it, he was on his feet, and at the doorway. "There you go."

Red Alert staggered, one hand coming out to the wall, and someone pointed past his nose. "That way."

Red Alert turned to go in that direction, and as he disappeared around the corner, the mech suddenly said out loud, "I hope he was trying to find Inferno."

0o0o0o0o0o0

Ratchet scowled as he turned on the comm. link. "Red Alert, where are you?"

"I'm supposed to be somewhere nearby your medbay, but I think I got lost."

Ratchet spoke without thinking. "How can you get lost?"

Red Alert was getting slightly ticked off. In the space of a day he had fallen twice, and now he was lost. "BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY OPTICS!"

The snarling roar echoed down the hallways straight to the stunned Inferno, currently moping in his room that he couldn't protect Red Alert from the blast. "Red?"

Inferno opened the door and walked out, asking, "Red?"

Red Alert reacted instinctively. He made a beeline for the fire truck and grabbed onto Infernos arm gently. "Inferno, I need to get to the medbay, but I don't know where I'm at."

Inferno blushed slightly as he said gently, "Calm down Red. I'll get you to the medbay."

Red Alert nodded, clinging tightly to Infernos arm as Inferno guided Red Alert to the medbay.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Ratchet looked up as Inferno came in, Red Alert on his arm. Inferno was blushing furiously, even as he had a wide, goofy grin stretched across his face. He was enjoying this. Enjoying it too much.

"Inferno, why is Red Alert with you?"

"He got pointed in the wrong direction." Inferno said, shrugging. "I just simply brought him back."

"Get him on the bunk in the back." Ratchet said, pointing. "I'm expecting the twins will had done something stupid again and should be coming any moment, and I want to keep them as far away from Red Alert as possible."

Inferno guided Red Alert to the bunk, as Ratchet turned away, snickering. It wasn't necessary to put them all the way in the back. But at least this way Inferno had an actual excuse to hold onto his crushes arm just for a little longer.

It was well known that Inferno liked Red Alert, but it was unsure how Red Alert liked Inferno back. Red Alert certainly never talked about it. But, taking from how Red Alert acted around Inferno… those two would have it made if they would just ever confess.

Red Alert yelped suddenly as he hit his foot on something, and Inferno sighed slightly, picking Red Alert right up off the ground and placing him in the booth.

Red Alert sat, frozen and surprised by what Inferno had done. Inferno hesitated, lingering. "Red, what are you gonna do with your optics gone?"

"Sit here?" Red Alert replied weakly, he really did not want to go through a repeat of the cycle. "It's got to be a little safe-"

Wheeljack came in, holding something. Red Alert didn't notice as he was unable to see, but Inferno did and he hastily stood in front of Red Alert in case it blew up. Ratchet glared at Wheeljack, and hissed, "Don't tell me, it's—"

The twins came staggering in, dented and bleeding energon. "Oh Ratchet!" Sideswipe said, ginning.

Welders, ratchets, and wrenches flew at the twins, and Red Alert flinched as the usually quiet medbay became filled with the sound of war. Inferno noticed Red Alert wincing, and he sighed. _So much for a nice, quiet, peaceful time with Red Alert in the medbay. _

Red Alert shivered as there was an ear-rending screech of metal being torn apart and Sideswipe could be heard shouting distinctly. Sunstreaker was also snapping something and Ratchet roared at them both, shaking a wrench at them. "Do! I'll tell what I'm going to do to you! I'm going to take a can opener to you both and leave you worse then when you came in here as!"

Red Alert yelped in pain as his auditory receptors were badly assaulted from across the room. Ratchet paused in his 'tender' ministrations, and the twins sighed in relief. "Sorry Red Alert."

Red Alert shuddered, rubbing his ears as Ratchet fixed the twins and chased them out. The white medic moved to where Red Alert sat, Inferno waiting patiently. "Inferno, go ahead and go. Red Alert is going to be on sedatives the rest of the journey-"

"What? Why!" Came the two identical squawks of disbelief.

"Because, I'm scanning you right now, and you're getting worse. If we allow you to be onlined you'll not be able to have the same optic range that you usually do. Now, lay down."

Red Alert grumbled softly as he lay back, and Ratchet put him under.

0o0o0oo0o0

"Alright, I've put Red Alert under sedatives, he'll be like that the rest of the trip… and I don't want any loud explosions, or anything else that will send mechs into the medbay. Any do, and I'm saying that you volunteered to be a test subject for Wheeljack and Perceptor."

Shivers went down the backs of the crew, and each one silently vowed not to get into the medbay.

0o0o0o0o0o

Red Alert onlined to a violent explosion in Wheeljacks lab. He sat up, optics onlining, to reveal a fuzzy, almost indistinct room. And immediately got a massive CPU ache. He fell back, groaning in agony as First Aid rushed to his side. "We forgot the sedatives!"

Red Alert struggled weakly against the hands that pinned him down, but they were too strong, and he soon dropped into a dreamless recharge.

0o0o0o0o0

When Red Alert onlined for what just felt like moments after waking up after the explosion in Wheeljacks lab, he found Inferno standing nearby, staring at him. "What happened?"

"Some idiot thought you looked uncomfortable, shifted you slightly, making the sedatives stop working, and in the middle of replacing your optics, you onlined them, nearly scrambling your CPU." Ratchet snarled from somewhere behind Inferno. "You've been out for nearly a month now."

Red Alert stiffened, and then groaned. "A month?"

"Yep." Inferno said softly, voice muted. Red Alert hissed in frustration, and slowly, shakily stood up.

"My cameras have to be destroyed. As a matter of fact…" Red Alert paused, sniffing. _Smoke, I smell smoke._

Inferno hastily explained, "With you out, mechs took over your job, and well… we tried fixing the cameras before sending them to Wheeljack, I swear Red! But, they still didn't work, and we sent them to Wheeljack, who…"

"How many cameras do I have left?" Red Alert murmured, his stomach rapidly sinking.

"About… one."

"About?"

"Well, it's fritzing at the moment."

Red Alert muttered something, walking unsteadily to the door. He opened the door to see the entire hallway covered in soot. "What happened?" Red Alert shrieked, looking around himself.

"Well, Sideswipe and Smokescreen were talking together, but Wheeljack came by, wanting to go to the blast room in order to keep you happy, and well… TherewasanexplosionasSmokescreenssmokebombsblewup."

"There was an explosion as Smokescreens smoke bombs blew up." Red Alert repeated slowly. "How the SLAG DID THAT HAPPEN?" Red Alert was nearly screaming at the hapless Inferno, and Ratchet decided that it might be his cue to exit stage left if Red Alert was mad enough to actually scream at Inferno.

The twins cheery voices drifted down the hallway. "Hey, I'd recognize that tone anywhere! Prowl, Red Alert woke up!"

Prowl and Optimus Prime appeared around the corner, looking slightly nervous for some reason. "Red Alert? You know the sensor readings? Somebody messed with them-"

"It was an accident! I was just trying to clean out beneath one of the machines!" Hound cried, mortified. "Dust was beginning to pile up-"

Red Alert looked to the sky, thinking, _Why me Primus? I know I'm your favorite dumping ground for all things that go wrong… but WHY ME!_

Inferno asked softly, "Red?"

Red Alert sighed, rubbing his optics, feeling a CPU ache coming on. "You all are trying to drive me insane. How much damage is their to my security systems?"

"Well, you have one functional camera, the sensor readings are knocked out of whack, somebody has tried hacking into the computers, but we think one of the viruses you planted got them."

Red Alert twitched. He had planted no viruses. "And then we tore off a few grates to the ventilation system-"

"Why do we even have a ventilation system?"

"Because we need to conduct heat away. Shush. I'm trying to decide what else went wrong."

Red Alert picked up a nearby destroyed camera and began working, listening to the ever lengthening list.

_CPU, note to self: NEVER, EVER let the Ark help me again._

SsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSs

A request, 'Red Alert looses the sight of his optics, and the Ark tries to help out, driving him batty'. I think I got it down.


End file.
